Primer gasifier



Patented Aug. 13, 1929.

UNITED STATES THOMAS ROY BROWNRIDGE, O]? GLENA'VON, SASKATCHEWAN, CANADA.

PRIMER GASIFIEB.

Application filed larch 6, 1925, Serial No.

The invention relates to a primer gasifier particularly adapted for use in connection with combustion engines and especially autoinobile engines and an object of the invention is to provide a gasifier to be used with the customary primer and which will operate to heat the liquid fuel passing through the discharge pipe of the primer to the engine intake manifold and convert the same into a gas which will readily ignite in the cylinder and thereby make the starting of the engine easy, particularly during cold weather.

A further object is to construct the device so that it can be readily attached to the engine and such that the fuel will be sprayed into the heater and directed against the casing of the heating element and subsequently passed through a heated area prior to being introduced into the intake manifold.

With the above more important objects in view the invention consists essentially in the arrangement and construction of parts hereinafter more particularly described, reference being had to the accompanying drawing in 5 which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of part of an automobile engine and showing my device introduced in the pipe leading from the primer to the intake manifold.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detailed horizontal sectional view at 22 Figure 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view at 3'-3 Figure 2. v

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the sprayer.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detailed vertical sectional view longitudinally through the primer.

In the drawing like characters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

I have only considered it necessary to herein show those parts of an automobile with which my invention is most immediately associated. The automobile engine 1 is provided with the customary intake manifold 2 and exhaust manifold 3. The automobile gear shift lever is indicated at 4 and the dash at 5 and the steering column at 6.

Automobiles at the present time are equipped with what is known as the Stewart vacuum gasoline system, the purpose of which is to feed the gasoline from the customary low lying gasoline tank to the carbureter and in such systems, there is what is known as a gravity tank 7 into which the gasoline is drawn by suction through the supply pipe 8 13,554, and in Canada February 24, 1925.

from the main gasoline tank (not shown) and from which the gasoline flows by gravity through the feed pipe 9 to the carbureter, indicated at 10. The suction is created by a pipe 11 leading from the top of the gravity tank and communicating with the intake manifold 2. I have not considered it necessary to describe the details of the gravity tank as the interior parts thereof are well known and in so far as my invention is concerned, it is simply used as a source of supply of gasoline for the primer 12 herein shown. This primer is now used on certain automobiles at present on the market and it is now utilized to withdraw the charge of gasoline from the gravity tank 7 and discharge it into the intake manifold for starting purposes. I have found, however, that raw gasoline, so to speak, discharged in this way into the intake manifold is of little value particularly during cold weather and the feature of my invention resides in the introduction of a gasifier between the primer and the intake manifold whereby a highly combustible gas will be introduced into the manifold regardless of exterior temperatures.

The primer 12 is customarily carried by the dash 5 and comprises a cylinder 13 containing a sliding plunger or piston 14 and the plunger is carried at the inner end of a rod 15 which passes slidably through a screw cap 16, screwed to the end of the cylinder. A finger grip 17 is secured to the outer end of the rod and a coiled spring 18 is interposed between the piston and a bearing sleeve 19 retained by the cap and through which the rod 15 slidably passes. The cylinder 13 is connected to an elbow 20 presenting an inlet passage 21 and an outlet passage 22. The inner end of the outlet passage is formed to provide a seat- 23 for a needle valve 24 carried by the inner end of the rod 15, it here being noted that the spring 18 normally holds the piston in with the valve 24 seated. A further valve seat is formed at the outer end of the outlet opening 22 and a spring-pressed ball valve 26 engages this seat. An outlet pipe 27 leads from the end of the primer to my gasifier 28. An inlet pipe 29 leads from the bottom of the gravity tank and communicates with the inlet passage 22, a check valve 30 in the form of a spring-pressed ball, being inserted to prevent the passage of gasoline from the cylinder through the passage 22 to the pipe 29.

As hereinbefore stated the structural details of the primerare well known and form no part of my invention.

Automobiles are at present equipped with such a primer and similar inlet and outlet pipe connections but the outlet pipe 27 customarily opens directly to the manifold with the result that when the primer is operated, gasoline is sucked into the cylinder through the pipe 29 and past the valve 30 and is ejected past the valve 26 and through the pipe 27, directly into the intake manifold. There is no provision made whatever for heating this injected gasoline with the result that in cold weather, difficulty is experienced in starting the engine even where the primer is provided.

The gasifier 28 which I provide comprises a cylindica-l casing 31 having an elbow-like extension 32, located more or less centrally at the side of the casing and adapted to be screw threaded into a suitable screw threaded opening 33, provided in the intake manifold. The cylindrical casing 31 contains an electrical heater 34 embodying a suitably encased heating coil or element 35. The lowor end of the heater terminates in a screw threaded head 36 which screws into the lower screw threaded end 37 of the casing. 1, accordingly, provide an annular heating chamber between the heater 34 and the casing 31.

At the side of the casing. 31, remote from the elbow, I locate a vertically disposed sprayer 38 which is in the form of an elongated flat nozzle presenting a vertical outlet slot 39 spaced from and directly opposite the heater. This nozzle is supplied with a screw threadednipple 40 and isput in place within the casing before the heating element is inserted. The nipple is passed through a suitable hole formed in the casing and after the sprayer has been properly positioned, it is held in place by a lock nut 41, screw threaded to the nipple at the outer side of the casing. The pipe 27, hereinbefore mentioned, is attached to the nipple. The feed wires 42 and 43 communicating with the element 35 are connected to a suitable source of electrical current and it will obviously be desirable to insert a switch to control the passage of the current through the wires.

When this device is installed and one desires to start his engine, he first turns on the heater 34 and after it has become hot, he manipulates the primer to force gasoline from the gravity tank 7 into the pipe 27 and to the sprayer. The gasoline is spread by the sprayer and is directed against the casing of the heating element, being distributed by the sprayer throughout the length thereof. The sprayer initially breaks up the gasoline and the gasoline globules impinging on the heater, which is at this time hot, are gasified. The gas is thereafter compelled to pass within the annular area between the heater and the casing 31 before it can escape from the elbow 32 to the engine. It will be here understood that simultaneously with the manipulation of the primer, one turns the engine crank shaft to cause a suction in the intake manifold which will draw the hot gas from the gasifier into the cylinders. This entering hot gas is immediately fired by the customary spark plugs.

What I claim as my invention is:

An apparatus of the character described comprising a cylindrical casing having a vapor outlet at one side adapted to be connected to the intake manifold of an internal 7 combustion engine and an opposing fuel inlet at the opposite side adapted to be connected to a fuel supply pipe, there being a screw threaded opening provided in the bottom of said casing, an electrically operated heating element extending longitudinally within the casing and spaced from the wall thereof and positioned between the inlet and the outlet and provided at its lower end with an enlarged head screw threading into the opening aforesaid and carrying therein the circuit wires for said heating element and an elongated flat spray nozzle extending longitudinally of the, casing and communicating with the fuel inlet and positioned between the inlet and the heating element and presenting a relatively long narrow slotopposing the heating element and through which the fuel enters the casing.

Signed at Glenavon, Sask, this 13th day of Oct, 1924.

THOMAS ROY BROWVNRIDGE. 

